Tuesday, December 12, 2017

So last week, I was somewhat of a Negative Nelly and went on a small rant over which characters from The Disney Afternoon (a group of tv shows that I have the utmost admiration for) I liked the LEAST! Well now I'm counteracting those negative waves with some positivity. Here are my FAVORITE characters from The Disney Afternoon!

*everyone sighs from relief while simultaneously gasping with delight*

Monterey Jack

I kicked the last list off with Rescue Rangers, so I'll go ahead and do the same here. First up, the cheese-chaser from down under who's always ready to throw a little shrimp on the fondue - Monterey Jack!

The reason I love Monty so much is basically because of the way he talks. Hearing Jim Cummings use an Australian accent to say things like, "Too-la-roo, boyo!" or "Bonzer move, Chipper me lad!" is just something that I apparently never grow tired of.

It's not only how he says things, but also the things he says! In practically every episode, Mr. Jack here will say something referencing one of his many past adventures. "This reminds me of the time I got shanghaied in Shanghai on a junk full of junk," or "This is better than the time I rode a walrus over Niagara Falls!" and not once do the other Rescue Rangers say, "That sounds fascinating, Monty! Please tell me more about the time you were bushwhacked by bush wrens!" Nope! They just ignore him and go on as if he didn't say anything at all. Well, it's their folly, if you ask me. They're only denying themselves of what I'm sure is a treasure trove of anecdotes that are, at the very least... delightful!

Launchpad McQuack

As I've said before, my favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is DuckTales. This being the case, picking one character as a favorite isn't an easy thing to do... but it is something I have to do. So here he is! Duckburg's own breathing crash dummy, Launchpad McQuack!

Launchpad has an amazing amount of clarity with everything, including himself. He knows he's not a good pilot, and he never tries to hide this fact. But despite not being good at what he does, he loves doing it, nevertheless. Launchpad doesn't let something as trivial as expertise stand in the way of doing what makes him happy... and there's something admirable in that, I suppose. It'd probably be best, though, to do any admiring on the ground.

Bigtime Beagle

Okay. I lied. I have two favorite characters from Ducktales. In the original Uncle Scrooge comics, the Beagle Boys didn't really have individual names or personalities. Ducktales, on the other hand, is different! And the Beagle Boy with distinctest of the personalities, for my money, is Bigtime! The point man for most of the Beagle Boys' capers, this little guy is cunning, assertive, and probably best personifies the collective traits of the comic book Beagles - mean and clever.

There are a few times when other Beagles, like Bomber or Bankjob, take the lead but it's never quite as fun. To quote the man himself: "You can't have a good time without Bigtime."

Such eloquence.

And lastly, there's Gummi Glen's resident wizard, Zummi Gummi. Of all the Gummi bears, I think Zummi is the one I can relate to the most. He has before him a wealth of knowledge and expertise from those who came before him, and is perfectly content spending every one of his waking hours pouring over every last detail. Zummi wants desperately, and even attempts at times, to make his own mark on Gummi history, but I don't think it's ever really an obsession. More than anything, I think, Zummi is content just having so much to geek out over while remaining confident in his own abilities and accomplishments.

I'm talking, of course, about Gummi bear magic spells. You know? Being able to light a candle from across the room? Without a match?

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

As I've said time and time again, I'm a big fan of the shows of The Disney Afternoon! Now that I've made that absolutely clear, however, I must admit that I'm not a fan of every single aspect of them. There are few characters here and there that I just don't care for for one reason or another, and it's them that I've decided to devote this blog post to.

So here they are: my LEAST favorite characters of The Disney Afternoon!

Chip

First up is the primary titular character of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers,... Chip! Now, of course, we can't have Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers without Chip, but one thing we definitely can do is have him not be such a jerk! He's constantly berating Dale (hiiiiiis brother??) in front of the rest of the team! He bonks him on the head and calls him names! Sure, Dale's a big goof off, but he's the heart of the Rescue Rangers, man! AND he's proven himself valuable time and time again! Ease the heck off, Chipper!

Doofus Drake

My favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is, without a doubt, Ducktales! There's one character in Ducktales, however, that even as a kid made me wince a little. I'm speaking, of course, about Doofus. I would always give a disappointed slump anytime I'd realize that a Doofus episode was coming on. Oh sure, I'd still watch it in its entirety (it's still Ducktales after all) I'd just watch it with a little less enthusiasm. I find him annoying. Plain and simple. Oh! And why is he called Doofus? Is everyone, even the adults, calling him an idiot to his face because bullying is such a firm staple of Duckburg life?!? Or is his name actually Doofus?! If so, then his parents are horrible people... I mean,... ducks.

Morgana Macawber

Speaking of ducks, next up is the apple of Darkwing's masked eye, Morgana Macawber. I guess my main beef here is just that she bores me. I mean, I get it. They're both creatures of the night, so to speak. He's a masked vigilante and she's a mystical enchantress, or whatever, but that's pretty much it. A lot of the time, Morgana comes across as a bit of a doormat for Darkwing. I'd much rather see a love interest who acts as a foil to his super-sized ego.

Gusto Gummi

And last, as well as least because thats what this is... a list of leasts, is Gusto Gummi. I dunno... Gusto's alright, I guess. It's just always bothered me that his name breaks form and doesn't end with an 'i'. I suppose you could say that it symbolizes his character's non-traditional nature and opposition to conformity... but screw that! I don't like things that are different!

And there you have it, my least favorite characters of The Disney Afternoon! I bet you're all glad I cleared that up, huh? Of course, I must admit, while I don't particularly care for watching these guys on screen, they sure were a ton of fun to draw!

Saturday, November 18, 2017

On this day, 89 years ago, Walt Disney said aloud, "I'm gonna doodle me a little whippersnapper that'll whistle and cut a rug, and make me a ton of simoleons!" I wasn't actually there, of course, but I'm assuming that's how it all went down... and thus, Mickey Mouse was born!

Disney has been putting out videos of Mickey celebrating his birthday around the world, while sporting a fun outfit that I like so much, I decided to use for a new Park Pal of the head mouse.

Friday, October 27, 2017

It's pretty safe to say that there's something magical about the ambience of being at Walt Disney World. Sure the many rides, shows, and characters each provide an overall sense of joy, but I'm talking about the little things... such as the sound of the bustling crowd on Main Street or even the voice on the monorail telling you to stand clear of the doors. Even these simplest of details can spark that zippy-doo-da feeling of delight in the hardest of hearts. If you're looking online for an example of this, no one, in my opinion, better delivers a sense of what it feels like just to BE at Walt Disney World than the YouTube channel, SeeYaReelSoon.

Married couple Joe and Ashley document their many adventures in the most magical place on earth with a series of videos that, for at least my family and I, remind us of that magical ambience like no one else. Whether it's enjoying a refreshing sip of Bibo at Epcot's Club Cool, or riding the Tomorrowland People Mover for the umpteen-billionth time... well... you get it! We like watching their videos! So much so that, for us, Joe and Ashley have become synonymous with Walt Disney World. It's because of this that I decided to go ahead and add them to my roster of Disney Park Pals!

Huge honor, right?

While I'm at it, here are a few more Park Pals who I'm guessing, based on our MANY viewings of SeeYaReelSoon, are some of Joe and Ashley's favorites.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

So I've come up with a different look for my Disney Park Pals, and since today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, I thought it'd be fitting to kick off this new line with one of my favorite scallywags - Kenny the Pirate!

Normally, I've had the Park Pals specifically be fan art of Meet and Greet characters that you might run into at one of the Disney parks. While Kenny the Pirate isn't an official Disney character, he does spend an awful lot of time in the parks, so, as far as I'm concerned, he's a Disney World staple!

My wife and I have planned two trips to Walt Disney World in the past, and are currently planning a trip to Disneyland for sometime in the near future. A few years back, we happened upon Mr. the Pirate's website and once we did, the whole planning process became both easier and more enjoyable. Walt Disney World offers so much to do that, while being a ton of fun, can easily become overwhelming. Think about it, you're hot, you're tired, and on top of all that... you can't decide what "magical" thing to do next. It's not going to be long before the kids start crying and the daddy's start... using a more colorful vocabulary. Fortunately, a lot of this heartache can be avoided with a good itinerary! That's where Kenny the Pirate comes in.

Kenny spends seemingly ALL of his time in the Disney parks gathering info on wait times, ride closures, etc. to help park-goers come up with an informed game plan so that they get the most bang for their Disney World buck. You can check out his website here, and you definitely don't want to miss his SUPER informative Character Locator! I highly recommend it!

But enough with the commercial! It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day and I haven't internationally talked like a pirate ONCE! Curse the hornswagglin' wench that birthed the likes of I for me lazy son-of-a-biscuit-eater ways! Yaaaaarrrrrr!

P.S. I just googled 'scallywag.' I'm sorry, Kenny! I meant no disrespect.